though用法1:

問:He(= The cat) looked very well, though he was rather thirsty, for he drank half a bottle of milk.
雖然它很口渴,喝了牛瓶牛奶,但看上去卻很健康。句中的 though用法是表示讓步關係嗎?

答:句中的 though並不是引出讓步副詞子句的連接詞,因此不能譯作“儘管”、“雖然”。“渴”是一時的生理要求,它不是身體健康與否的一項内容,因此“口渴”與“身體健康”不能構成讓步關係,例如我們不能說。“儘管我很渴,但我身體很健康”。

應當記住,though除引出讓步副詞子句外,還可以用在主要子句後引出補充說明,在意義上相當於and, yet, however 。我要指出,He is poor, though he is satisfied with his condition. 在意義上並不等於 Though he is satisfied with his condition, he is poor.而是等於Though he is poor, he is satisfied with his condition類似的例子:

  1. I knew his story, though I didn’t want to tell it just then.
    我知道他的身世,但是當時我不想把一點告訴你們。
  2. I shall come to the meeting, though I can’t stay till the end.
    我可以與會,不過不能一直待到會議開完。

它看上去很健康,不過很口渴,一下子喝了半瓶牛奶。

小練習:請選出正確的答案。
It’s true that the old road is less direct and a bit longer. We won’t take the new one, _________, because we don’t feel as safe on it.
A somehow
B. though
C. halfway
D. onehalf

though用法2:

問:An attempt was made to give some coherence to agrarian policy in the two “green plans” of 1961 and 1966 which proved to be effective, though the funds made available were still below what was required.
一九六一和一九六六年兩次實施有效的農業計畫,企圖調整義大利的農業政策。可是撥用的款項遠遠不狗應用。
上面句子裡的 though用法是作“可是”解嗎?

答:與前面所討論的幾個例句中的 though用法不同,本句裡的 though是表示讓步關係的,故不應譯為“可是”。
一九六一年和一九六六年兩次實行的農業計畫,企圖對義大利的農業政策做某些調整,後來證明這兩項計畫是頗為成功的,儘管所撥的款項低於所需要的數目。

though用法3:

問:“新娘儘管快樂,但起初會想家。”
〔誤〕 Though happy the bride is, she will feel homesick at the beginning.
〔正〕 Happy as the bride is, she will feel homesick at the beginning.
〔正〕 Though the bride is happy, she will feel homesick at the beginning.
〔說明〕 though連接的子句不用倒裝,可改用as,或改為正常詞序。”(《英語正誤辨析詞典》,外教社,1995年,p.351)
該書作者說“though連接的子句不用倒裝”的說法是否準確?

答:這是中國内地英語著作很常見的說法。但是,這種說法是不確的。其實,though連接的子句也可以採用倒裝語序:
Happy though the bride is, she will feel homesick in the beginning.
更詳細的情形,請見有關as用法的文章第6點。

though用法4:

問:Salmon spend most of their adult lives in salt water, despite they return to their fresh-water birthplaces to spawn and die.
我老是告訴我上面的句子有錯誤,大我看不出有什麼錯誤。

答:你沒有看出句子的錯誤,是因為你只知道 despite作“雖然”、“儘管”解,而不知道或者忽略了它是個介係詞。它後面只能接名詞性詞項,而不能接子句(子句有自己的主詞和動詞)。因此,必須把 despite改為though或 although

小練習:請選出正確的答案。
Scientists recently found some lotus seeds that they were able to germinate _______ they had been dormant for about 10,000 years.
A. nevertheless
B. in spite of
C. despite
D. even though

though用法5:

問:Though everybody desert you, I will not.
句中的 desert是否係 deserts之誤?

答:在正式語體裡,讓步副詞子句有時採用現在式假設語氣(即不管任何人稱都使用動詞的原形)。例如:

  1. Though he be the President himself, he shall hear us.
    儘管他本人是總統,他也得傾聽我們的意見。
  2. After all, all living creatures live by feeding on something else, whether it be plant or animal, dead or alive.
    要知道,所有活著的動物都是靠吃別的東西來生存的,而不管這些東西是植物還是動物,是死的還是活的。
  3. Whatever be the reason for their action, we cannot tolerate such disloyalty.
    不管他們的做法有什麼理由,我們也不能寬容這種不忠誠。

though用法6:

問:有關though(although)…still的用法。Although he is considered a great writer, ______.
A. his works are not widely read
B. but his works are not widely read
C. however his works are not widely read
D. still his works are not widely read
標凖答案為A。能否選D呢?

答:選D也是正確的,見下面一題的解釋。

though用法7:

問:有關though(although)…yet的用法。我已經知道, though(although)…but是中國人常犯的典型錯誤。但是,though…yet為什度就不是典型錯誤呢?but和yet同是連接詞,為什麼用法有這麼大的區別?

答:首先應當肯定,though…yet是正確的英語格式:

  1. Though he is poor, yet he is satisfied with his situation.
    儘管他很窮,但他對他的處境是滿意的。
  2. Though the sore be healed, yet a scar may remain.
    傷口雖癒合,傷疤卻永留。

為什麽在這裡可以用yet,而不能用but呢?因為but是對等連接詞,而yet卻是個副詞。副詞yet與從屬連接 though並用,可產生關聯關係。除yet之外,在含有讓步副詞子句的主要句中還可以使用 nevertheless、 still等副詞:

  1. Although (Though) admission was free, nevertheless few people attended the lecture.
    儘管免費入場,但聽演講/講座的人卻不多。
  2. Although he was ill, yet/still/nevertheless he managed to look careful.
    雖然他病了,但他盡力顯出很注意的樣子。
  3. Although/though/while…yet/still/nevertheless

正式的關聯詞語(指though/although…yet/still/nevertheless等)不僅能使文體優雅,而且能使句子的前後關係明確(當兩個相關聯的部分長而複雜的時候,尤其如此)。所以有關though用法在上一題目是可以選D的。

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